Diet Cola - Bad for you?

[Masucci]

I am addicted to Diet Coke with Splenda. I openly admit it. I drink plenty of water, I just prefer my Diet Coke! LOL

I used to drink regular Coke, but stopped about 8 years ago to reduce my caloric intake. I wasn't (an I'm not) overweight, I just thought it would benefit me, as I was getting older, and needed less calories.

Now, I wonder if there are any hidden dangers in Diet Cola? There isn't a lot of info on it out there. I used to drink regular Diet Coke with Aspartame, but as soon as the Splenda version came out, I switched, thinking again, that it would be better for me. So does anyone have anything they can share about possible problems with diet cola?

 

[pumpkincat210]

I do know that it hasn't been out for too long so long term tests of it can't be done.
My dad uses it and is okay.

 

[janelle811]

I personally do not like to eat/drink anything with aspartame or splenda. I am not sure if it will do anything, but imo it's not good for you.

Also, in the past couple of years I can tell right away if I have anything with aspartame or splenda: it leaves a gross taste in my mouth, and it also upsets my stomach. So, I definetly do not eat /drink anything with that in it, because it really does not agree with me.

If you want to have something that is healthy, don't drink cola at all, or have regular cola, but just on occasion. The rest of the time, try to drink other things like h2o, juice, etc.

 

[Wattage]

While most people speculate that sucralose (Splenda) or aspartame are bad for you, imo it is worse to consume a can of coke's worth of calories in high fructose corn syrup. Whether or not you decide these modified sugars are bad for you is really a matter of personal decision because studies are inconclusive at this time.

The actual issue with pop of any kind is the phosphoric acid. Sodas are quite acidic, esp. diet coke, and thus upset calcium levels in your body. To compensate, your body breaks down your own bone to up the blood calcium, as calcium in the blood is required to stay alive. For women, this fact is very concerning, especially if you have a history of osteoporosis in your family or an unbalanced diet.

In my opinion, diet pop is OK once in a while. Use it for backups, when you go out, as a calorie saver in alcoholic drinks, etc. Not a good idea to drink everyday. Your best bet for your health and bones would be to switch to water and milk only.

Sorry to bring bad news, but hey, what a surprise - pop is worse for you than you thought!

 

[Tyester]

Nutrasweet is ten times worse.

Plus I'm still confused as to why Splenda gets a bad wrap.(I've also yet to hear it causes cancer in a lab rat who ate 5 times their wieght in it)

 

[Wattage]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tyester Nutrasweet is ten times worse. Plus I'm still confused as to why Splenda gets a bad wrap.(I've also yet to hear it causes cancer in a lab rat who ate 5 times their wieght in it)

I keep fairly up to date on medical journals and relevant studies on modified sugars. There is no consistent evidence that these compounds are bad for you. I suspect they aren't good, but perhaps the lesser of two evils.

Splenda gets a bad wrap because it is a chemically modified sugar. It is derived from the glucose molecule and undergoes unnatural processes to become sucralose. It deserves the bad wrap it gets - people should be wary of new "miracle" products. Remember hydrogenated margarine?? Yeah, that turned out just great (insert severe sarcasm here)...

Probably best to keep your consumption levels low. These products should not be a bandaid for the problem: people want to consume too much sweets. The issue should be tackled head on and moderation should be practiced in all areas of life.

 

[Shimmer]

diet anything is gross.

I don't drink much by way of cokes, I prefer ice water, but the sugar substitutes have HORRIBLE effects on me.

 

[petitsinge]

my boss drinks like 4 diet cokes every day and at 60 something ish years old, he has the shakes really awful (supposedly from the 45 some years hes been drinking a crapload of caffeine) - almost like he has parkinsons except he doesn't.

then again, if you don't drink that much i dunno how terrible diet coke really is - i think it's just the gallons he drinks every day.

 

[Masucci]

Quote:

The actual issue with pop of any kind is the phosphoric acid. Sodas are quite acidic, esp. diet coke, and thus upset calcium levels in your body. To compensate, your body breaks down your own bone to up the blood calcium, as calcium in the blood is required to stay alive.

That paragraph alone makes me want to start weening myself off of cola for good. I'm going to start today.

I appreciate all of the advice so much. The thing that scares me, is when I go without Diet Coke for a couple of days, I get nagging headaches. Caffeine addiction.

It's ugly. I've got to work through it though. I DO NOT want brittle bones, and who knows what other problems when I'm older.

 

[Tyester]

Quote:

Originally Posted by wattage I keep fairly up to date on medical journals and relevant studies on modified sugars. There is no consistent evidence that these compounds are bad for you. I suspect they aren't good, but perhaps the lesser of two evils. Splenda gets a bad wrap because it is a chemically modified sugar. It is derived from the glucose molecule and undergoes unnatural processes to become sucralose. It deserves the bad wrap it gets - people should be wary of new "miracle" products. Remember hydrogenated margarine?? Yeah, that turned out just great (insert severe sarcasm here)... Probably best to keep your consumption levels low. These products should not be a bandaid for the problem: people want to consume too much sweets. The issue should be tackled head on and moderation should be practiced in all areas of life.

Good point, but moderation is where I can only guess(and very well) is where people go wrong.

 

[bottleblack]

My boyfriend rails me all the time about my diet soda addiction, mostly because of my massive caffeine jones.

What about the consistent intake of carbonation? Is that bad for you?
I've also read that there are studies that suggest diet soda may impede weight loss. Has anyone heard any more about this?

 

[Wattage]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bottleblack My boyfriend rails me all the time about my diet soda addiction, mostly because of my massive caffeine jones. What about the consistent intake of carbonation? Is that bad for you? I've also read that there are studies that suggest diet soda may impede weight loss. Has anyone heard any more about this?

I have never heard much about the carbonation in pop causing issues, because as we all know, it's usually burped back up!!

I also haven't heard anything about it causing issues with weight loss... though a connection between aspartame and any health problem would never cease to amaze me!!

Let us know if you hear anything else!

 

[Jennifer Mcfly]

I grew up with sweet-n-low. That's all my parents used so I'm used to it. I try not to use it that much and have since replaced it with low servings of sugar instead. I don't know if it's had any effect on my health or not. I never had health problems when I used Sweet-n-Low all the time and since I stopped I haven't seen any difference in my health. So, i think it's based on the individual.
But like they say, everything in moderation...so I'd say Diet Coke is included in that

 

[ette]

read the book skinny bitch. you'll see how bad it is.

 

[MxAxC-_ATTACK]

I personally hate diet drinks. They make my mouth swell. i dont know what it is in them that does it but the roof of my mouth puffs up when i drink them. I dont drink too much soda anymore i usually go with iced tea with Real sugar for sweetening it if im feeling bored of water... . Ive heard Terrible things about aspertame, but havent heard much about splenda.. both taste like S**t imo.

 

[mitziedoll]

I have a bad Diet Pepsi problem. I drink about two two liters a day of the stuff, have since about sixth grade and Im 25 now. It does keep me from eating. I have not tried the splenda diet pepsi. I think I might be allergic to it though. I have tried other splenda products, chocolate bars etc and have found that I can't digest it right. Is it a diuretic? The last time I had splenda candy I had an electrolyte imbalance issue and got really sick. I think that I truly may actually have an addicition to diet soda as I am cranky and irritable without it. But it can't be worse that alcohol for you right?

 

[Wattage]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mitziedoll I have a bad Diet Pepsi problem. I drink about two two liters a day of the stuff, have since about sixth grade and Im 25 now. It does keep me from eating. I have not tried the splenda diet pepsi. I think I might be allergic to it though. I have tried other splenda products, chocolate bars etc and have found that I can't digest it right. Is it a diuretic? The last time I had splenda candy I had an electrolyte imbalance issue and got really sick. I think that I truly may actually have an addicition to diet soda as I am cranky and irritable without it. But it can't be worse that alcohol for you right?

Not necessarily true. As I mentioned above, drinking loads of sodas can totally wreck your bones. Furthermore, you addiction is to the caffeine. I am assuming that your electrolyte imbalance stemmed from two things:

1. You blood calcium was too low. Drinking sodas lowers blood calcium levels, this is why it breaks up bone to compensate. If you drank a lot at once, the results may have been too much for your body in one go. Calcium is a key electrolyte. Without it, you will die.

2. If you are drinking diet soda to avoid eating, you could definitely end up with an electrolyte issue. Diet soda has nothing in it. Try a sport electrolyte replenishment drink, such as Gatorade, in place of ONE (not all b/c Gatorade is packed with sugar) of your diet pops. Messing around with electrolyte imbalances is a bad idea - please be more careful, I would hate for something to happen to you!

2 litres of pop a day is a health concern. I know you will when you are ready, but this is going to be an obstacle you will need to overcome. When you do, I know you will feel so much better.

 

[janelle811]

I just wanted to share something that I thought was really odd:

My dad normally drinks a lot of diet soda, and he has to go to the bathroom really quickly after. He has recently started to drink coffee, and he had that to drink this morning. My family was taking my sister back to college, and my dad drove almost 1 1/2 without stopping for the bathroom (normally he would stop sooner if he had something to drink before). Anyways, when he came back to the car, we were all like, wow, you drove a while before stopping for a break. He said that 'coffee doesn't make him go to the bathroom for a while'. I was amazed by this, b/c coffee is a diuretic - you will have to go to the bathroom sooner than if you had drank h2o.

The fact that drinking diet pop constantly makes him have to run to the bathroom just make me wonder about how good it could be for him, if he doesn't have that problem w/coffee? I would think that coffee should have that effect with him?

I don't know if that made sense how I explained it, but if you lived with my family you would get it, it just really surprised me that it worked that way

 

[lovejam]

Quote:

Originally Posted by janelle811 Also, in the past couple of years I can tell right away if I have anything with aspartame or splenda: it leaves a gross taste in my mouth, and it also upsets my stomach.

Same here!! I was starting to think I was all alone. I'm glad to hear that someone out there not only hates the aftertaste of artificial sweeteners, but gets sick from them too. They're really bad for my stomach, plus any amount I consume gives me a headache, for some reason.

They use saccharine in mouthwashes and toothpastes, and that doesn't have any bad effects on me, probably because you aren't supposed to swallow it. But, I notice the aftertaste with saccharine isn't quite as strong, either. Maybe it's different.

 

[luckyme]

I only drink diet coke also to save on calories. I figure something is going to kill me whether it be ths sun or just driving in my car. I dont smoke so I guess this is my craving.